I’ve been blessed to spend the past month in Anchorage, Alaska, enjoying a non-traditional volunteer vacation. While my husband works remotely, I head into the animal shelter every day to walk the dogs, play with the cats, and help any way I can. You can learn all about my time with Alaska SPCA in my post: Volunteer Vacay.
In the evenings and on weekends, we explore the area in and around Anchorage. In the middle of our trip, we took a mini excursion to explore Homer for a few days. Many people seem to suggest flying into Anchorage and then getting out as soon as you can, and admittedly the city does have a gritty, urban vibe to it. But we have found Anchorage to be a wonderful home base. There is so much to see and do within the city, and much more is just a short drive away.
Photos (left to right): Grace Ridge Trail, Helicopter Tour, Skyscraper Mountain, Harding Icefield
We obviously didn’t experience everything that the area has to offer (not even close!), but I’ll share all the things we have seen/done/eaten along with my thoughts. If you’re planning a trip to Anchorage, hopefully this information will help.
The Bluff Trail at Kincaid Park is an overgrown mess, but the views from it are spectacular!
Anchorage Activities
If you have some time in Anchorage, there’s plenty to see and do. If you’re looking to learn about Alaska Native culture, the Alaska Native Heritage Center is a fantastic stop to watch native dance and games and to tour models of traditional homes. If you want to stretch your legs, a walk along the Coastal Trail offers views of the Sleeping Lady and even Denali on a clear day. Plus, you’re bound to see wildlife, including sandhill cranes, eagles and maybe even moose. Better yet, rent a bike so you can go farther down the trail, including Earthquake Park, which tells the story of the devastating 1964 earthquake and subsequent tsunami that destroyed much of southcentral Alaska. Along the way, check out lagoons, marshes and fascinating mud flats. The mud flats can act like quicksand, so make sure you don’t venture off the trail. If you’re into birding, Potter Marsh is a unique park with a series of boardwalks that take you over the marsh. It’s a refuge for many birds, and moose are known to frequent the area. I’d suggest going in the morning or evening in order to see more wildlife. MORE >>
Our helicopter pilot Cameron landed right on the glacier, next to a bright blue glacial river.
Activities OUTSIDE OF Anchorage
Our one big splurge of the trip was to take a helicopter ride over, and even onto, glaciers. It really was the highlight of our vacation! The rugged ripples of ice, the floating bergs, waterfalls coming off glaciers at 4,000 feet, and the bright blue glacial rivers…there was so much beauty! Truly, the Grand Knik Tour with Alaska Helicopter Tours was worth every penny!
Alaska is a beautiful state and we enjoyed being able to experience it. We kept our travel limited to Anchorage, Homer and Seward (and the places in between) since our home base was Anchorage and we were generally volunteering/working during the week. And while we could have crammed in more, I feel like we enjoyed a wonderful balance of activities and down time.
We love to hike, and Alaska has some of the best scenery you’ll ever see. Harding Icefield Trail in Seward (Kenai Fjords National Park), Grace Ridge Trail outside Homer (Kachemak Bay State Park) and Skyscraper Mountain in the Fishhook area (Hatcher Pass) are all strenuous trails with phenomenal views as the reward for your hard work. In contrast, Gold Cord Lake (Hatcher Pass) is a relatively easy trail with a lovely lake at the end. We hiked to the lake at the end of June when the lake was still partially covered in snow, and it was magical. In addition to hiking, we enjoyed a leisurely float down the Kenai River and kayaked Eklutna Lake. We also toured the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, but it’s honestly not something I can recommend. MORE >>
It might not look like much, but one of my favorite (and least expensive meals) was soup from Kobuk and fresh bread from Fire Island Rustic Bakeshop. Perfect for a cool, rainy day.
Food
We tried to cook at home as much as possible, but we still managed to eat at a number of restaurants during our month in Alaska. I’m not one to get super excited about food…well, unless it’s dessert…but here’s my list of restaurants and my thoughts on them. MORE >>
Fun to read about your month in Anchorage. I loved Homer and Seward too, but we did different things. Took short hikes, ate halibut several times, toured breweries and wineries and walked all around both towns. We went to one glacier and hiked to the top for the view. We were there in May, 2 years ago, there was still a bit of snow . I’m glad you were able to do volunteer work with SPCA there.
We should get together soon, I want to come over for plants.
We look forward to going back one of these days and think it would be fun to go earlier in the season like you did. Yes! Let’s definitely get together soon!